Blackmagic Design HYPERD/AVIDAS5HD overview

Add professional monitoring and high-quality recording to virtually any camera with the Blackmagic Video Assist. It features a 5" 1920 x 1080 display to help you frame and focus your shots, and provides 6G-SDI and HDMI inputs for recording the video output from professional and consumer cameras. The Video Assist records 10-bit 4:2:2 video up to 1080p60 to high-speed U1 SDHC/XC memory cards using industry-standard Apple ProRes (HQ, 422, LT, or Proxy) and Avid DNx codecs. A touchscreen interface allows you to adjust settings and access monitoring features such as histogram, zebra, focus peaking, audio meters, timecode display, and more. To power the monitor, a 110-240 VAC power adapter is included. It also has dual battery slots on the rear that you power the monitor using Canon LP-E6 type batteries.

5" Full HD Display

The front of the monitor features a bright 5" 1920 x 1080 display for evaluating your shots. On-screen controls allow you to vary the brightness and contrast depending on the shooting situation, and the wide 135° viewing angle makes it easy for multiple crew members to watch at the same time. It even auto rotates so no matter which way you mount it, the picture is always displayed correctly.

Touchscreen Interface

The 5" display provides intuitive capacitive touchscreen controls. Swipe gestures make it simple and quick to show or hide settings, such as capture resolution and format, as well as screen brightness and contrast. Swipe in another direction and you'll have access to additional controls, recording status, histogram, audio level, timecode, battery status, and more. The controls have a semi-transparent overlay, so you can still be able to keep an eye on every part of your shots.

6G-SDI and HDMI Connections

Video and audio are captured using 6G-SDI and HDMI 1.4 inputs, allowing you to record from professional cameras and camcorders, as well as popular DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. The 6G-SDI input even allows you to monitor Ultra HD footage. Loop-through outputs are provided so you can simultaneously display the live video or recorded clips on larger screens like HD broadcast monitors or HDMI projectors while you monitor and record on the Video Assist. Audio is embedded in the output and can also be monitored on headphones using the 3.5mm stereo jack.

10-Bit 4:2:2 ProRes & DNxHD Recording

The Blackmagic Video Assist records your video at the 10-bit 4:2:2 quality. Files are recorded on to high-speed U1 SD cards, using Apple ProRes (HQ, 422, LT, Proxy) or DNxHD codecs. These are industry-standard formats, so you can start editing immediately without having to convert the files. Recording can be automatically triggered on your Blackmagic Video Assist from the start/stop button on compatible cameras, so you can remain focused on getting the shot without having to worry about operating additional gear.

Power

A universal 110V to 240 VAC power supply so you can use the Video Assist anywhere. Plug the AC adapter into the 12 VDC input you get continuous power, or run off of dual Canon compatible LP-E6 type batteries. Intelligent battery management will use the battery with less charge first, then immediately switch to the other battery without interrupting recording. When connected to AC power, the batteries can be charged in parallel while the Video Assist is still being used.

Blackmagic Design HYPERD/AVIDAS5HD reviews

Video Assist HDMI/6G-SDI Recorder and 5" Monitor is rated
3.8 out of
5 by
89.

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Anonymous from
Nice, Heating Issue!!I purchased this monitor back in December. Everything works as expected, false color is nice, focus peaking and everything else is pretty neat with this monitor. Only issue I'm having is when I'm filming anything outdoors, the monitor heats up and will not power back on for a good little while. Kind of embarrassing when I was on a recent shoot and this thing would not power back on! I had to make the client wait because i was recording internally at 10bit. Well passed the 30-day return policy from B&H so I'm basically stuck with it. All in all it's a good product, the over heating issue is my only gripe about this monitor. Just giving future clients a heads up!

Date published: 2017-02-13

Rated 2 out of
5 by
Matt from
Just okCons: Slightly green cast monitor - crushed shadows - slightly over exposes the highlights. Major dropped frame issues even with the fastest cards. I was using this along with the Sony A6300 recording to prores hq after about 5-10 minutes of recording during an interview it kept dropping frames. I had to keep starting and stopping the record. Histogram is medicore Touch screen is so so No full screen color waveform Comes with resolve All of these issues could be resolved with a simple firmware update, besides the dropped frames. Pros: Solid build quality - records to cheaper media however had dropped frame issues.

Date published: 2016-03-26

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Garrett G. from
Simple and compact designI've used Ninja blades and have an odyssey 7Q+. I wouldn't compare to the odyssey but as for the Ninja it has it beat with its' slimmer, stronger and better build body, SD card media ability and the 1080p screen is so clear and sharp. Make sure to buy the appropriate SD card class to avoid drop frames. It's definitely lacking some extra options OS wise but I'm sure they will be built into future firmware updates but for the buck this thing is the future and a great addition to anyone's small compact kit. I'm having a lot of fun shooting in the field with it and getting attention for it to, it's like having a new haircut.

Date published: 2016-04-05

Rated 1 out of
5 by
ACA M. from
Stops recording after 64 minutesI've called their support line three times and their response is always use another card. I am using ALL the cards that they list as verified / official cards in their spec manual. Well, now I've spent another $300 in SD cards and it still doesn't work past 64 minutes. It just stops recording and sometimes does / sometimes does not start again. Couldn't find anything in the forums about this.My latest call with them - they say it's a known issue, we don't know why it's happening, and we are going to release a new list of approved cards. Too little, too late, guys!!

Date published: 2017-02-21

Rated 2 out of
5 by
Anonymous from
Needs updates and fast. ReturningUsed it as a second monitor and it become worthless. The features aren't there even with the latest update with focus peaking. (the focus peaking doesn't work very well and would present artifacting if the camera is in motion) There was artifacting regardless with little red lines in what appeared to be random places but mostly in darker, not pitch black dark, just darker. The strangest thing that made is worthless is that the monitor would flicker if there was a bright frame in front of it or certain colors, (lighter blue) which made focus pulling that much more difficult. Its a nice price with but it needs to function to benefit from it. Have to go elsewhere.

Date published: 2015-12-17

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Marvin D. from
High Quality ValueI purchased the Blackmagic Design Video Assist recorder to backup my Live streams. After trying lesser options with my setup, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on this HD model since I don't plan to be streaming in 4k anytime soon. So far I've backed up close to 10 hours of broadcasts with no hiccups, so I'm beyond pleased with the device as it's exceed my expectations. Setup was essentially plug and play with intuitive menus and options. Moreover, my unit shipped with several internal sockets for the 12 volt power supply and a complementary copy of DaVinci Resolve that I'm looking forward to putting through its paces as well. Very pleased with this purchase.

Date published: 2018-07-24

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Chris from
Beats NINJA - Records for hours, perfect 4 Legal VideoThis was the first recorder I bought many years ago. Just recently bought a NINJA as a backup recorder, mostly because of the price and all the hype. When I used the ninja for the first time it started to overheat after 1 hours of recording, the unit was getting hot to the touch. Then when I stopped the recording after 2 hours the file was corrupt. After using it one time I returned it and bought another Blackmagic Video Assist.
Ninja was completely useless to me for LEGAL VIDEO the Ninja also feels like plastic and has a very short power cable.�
The Blackmagic is solid and a perfect for LEGAL VIDEO.

Date published: 2018-01-06

Rated 5 out of
5 by
nyguy from
Firmware 1.1 already added Zebras/Focus Peaking/Touch ZoomI've been using it since it started shipping and kind of loving it. Note that the recently-released Firmware 1.1 adds: - Adds Focus Peaking indication - Adds Zebra indication for setting iris - Adds central Zoom to aid focus - Adds timecode over HDMI - Improved battery information - Performance and stability updates I've not used the timecode over hdmi, but the central zoom is awesome and so simple to use, zebras work perfectly, focus peaking works ok. If past BM products are any indication, more refinements will come. Works great as-is for me, though.